Dallas Personal Injury Law Blog

Fatal truck accidents major safety concern: what is to blame?

On behalf of Jerry D. Andrews, P.C. on Monday, April 29, 2019.

As a Texas driver, you are aware that large trucks are everywhere on the road. Semitrailers are a critical part of the economy, and they are responsible for transporting goods and products from one place to another. Due to their heavy weight and the sheer size of these vehicles, you also know they can cause significant damage when involved in an accident.

In order to make the roads safer and decrease the chance of an accident, there are both state and federal laws in place that determine how these vehicles operate. There are strict guidelines for the number of consecutive hours truckers can drive and how frequently they must rest. There is some question regarding the efficacy of these regulations and whether they actually make the roads safer for motorists.

Facing an injury with no workers' comp

On behalf of Jerry D. Andrews, P.C. on Tuesday, March 26, 2019.

Workplace injuries are a sad fact of life. Even in industries or positions that carry no inherent danger, you never know when an accident will occur or if conditions will place you at risk of a work-related illness. In most states in the U.S., business owners carry workers' compensation insurance to cover medical bills and other expenses related to workplace accidents.

Texas is a rare exception in that it is the only state that does not require its employers to offer workers' compensation coverage. When you accepted the position at your job, your employer should have informed you whether he or she carries workers' compensation insurance. If your employer is a non-subscriber, you may wonder about your options when you get hurt on the job.

Hands-free devices are not a distracted driving cure-all

On behalf of Jerry D. Andrews, P.C. on Friday, March 1, 2019.

Most newer vehicles have the ability to connect to people's phones so that they can use them hands-free while driving without having to take eyes off the road and hand's off the wheel. It is supposed to help reduce distracted driving accidents specifically related to cellphone use. The truth is, hands-free devices are not a distracted driving cure-all. In fact, this technology comes with its own issues that also cause distracted driving.

Hands-on cellphone use for texting and talking while driving or stopped in traffic is illegal in the state of Texas. However, several cities have hands-free device laws in place to allow that you to use this feature within city limits.

Eating behind the wheel: A common type of risky behavior

On behalf of Jerry D. Andrews, P.C. on Tuesday, January 29, 2019.

When a driver is doing anything other than keeping his or her eyes on the road, it is distracted driving. When you think about distracted driving, you may think about someone texting or reading an email, but those are not the only things that can take a driver's attention. One of the most common and most dangerous types of distracted driving in Texas does not involve using a phone at all.

Eating while driving may not seem dangerous. In fact, most people have probably gone through a drive-thru to grab coffee and a pastry before work or picked up a burger to eat on the way home. Eating on-the-go is part of the American culture, yet the convenience may not be worth the risk. Eating while driving is a type of distracted driving, and it is quite dangerous.

Peer passengers are a huge distraction for teen drivers

On behalf of Jerry D. Andrews, P.C. on Thursday, January 3, 2019.

Let's be honest. Teenagers lack the experience to safely multitask while driving. For this reason, their parents often warn them not to use their cell phones, eat or do anything other than drive and pay attention to the road when they drive.

The question is whether Texas parents warn their teens about the dangers of having passengers their age in the vehicle. Did you know that with one peer passenger in the vehicle, the risk of an accident doubles? If a teenager has two or more peers along for the ride, the risk triples -- and this is without adding any additional distractions.

Knowing these signs may help you stay away from a drunk driver

On behalf of Jerry D. Andrews, P.C. on Tuesday, November 27, 2018.

You may have a number of concerns while on the road or while your loved ones are on the road. You certainly want to stay safe and never want to learn that a loved one has suffered injuries in an accident. Of course, you likely also know that a choice made by another person could easily result in a crash that has life-altering consequences.

In particular, a person making the decision to drink and drive could result in you or a loved one suffering serious or even fatal injuries. These dangerous drivers plague Texas roadways, and unfortunately, the odds are high that you or a family member will share the road with a drunk driver at some point.

Does the driver of that big rig suffer from an addiction?

On behalf of Jerry D. Andrews, P.C. on Thursday, November 1, 2018.

As you pass vehicles on the road, do you ever wonder what the lives of those inside them are like? Are they happy or sad, rich or poor or single or married? Maybe you have wondered these things, or maybe you focus on more practical questions like did that driver got enough sleep last night? Is he or she on a cell phone? Is he or she too busy looking at a GPS system to notice you?

You have probably heard that there are more and more drowsy and distracted drivers on the roadways, so you wonder these things. However, you can't forget about the impaired drivers. Whether it's 7a.m. or 7 p.m., some drivers continue to feed their addictions -- and some of them drive vehicles that weigh up to 80,000 pounds and dwarf your car in size. Yes, we are talking about big rigs, and the fact that many of their drivers suffer from addictions make them a danger on the roadways.

Road rage results in many serious accidents

On behalf of Jerry D. Andrews, P.C. on Monday, October 1, 2018.

It happens to everyone. You are running late trying to get to your destination when a car pulls out in front of you and slows to a crawl. You can feel your blood pressure rising, and it takes all your self-control to keep from using your own vehicle to push the other one out of your way. Instead, you take a deep breath and try to keep calm. Eventually, the other driver turns off, and you go on your way.

You may have control of your emotions while driving, but not every driver is able to contain the rage that builds up when faced with these inconveniences. When a driver acts on those impulses, your life may be in danger.

Has the new ban on texting made a difference?

On behalf of Jerry D. Andrews, P.C. on Wednesday, September 5, 2018.

It was this time last year when a lot a Texas drivers, perhaps including you, had to face the fact that their actions behind the wheel were dangerous. On Sept. 1, 2017, state lawmakers passed a law prohibiting drivers from texting. The law was heralded by public service announcements and campaigns outlining the dangers of taking your eyes off the road long enough to read or send a message on your mobile device.

Whether you had your own close calls with a phone in your hand or you are one of the countless Texas families who suffered injuries and loss due to someone else's distraction, you may have made a conscious decision not to text while behind the wheel. But that doesn't mean everyone else has.

Driving too long can lead to increased chance of truck accidents

On behalf of Jerry D. Andrews, P.C. on Friday, August 3, 2018.

Trucks are important to the Texas economy and the American economy as a whole, but there are strict regulations regarding how long a person can be behind the wheel of one of these vehicles. When a truck driver experiences fatigue, he or she is more likely to cause an accident.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has put regulations in place that limit how many subsequent hours a trucker can drive. Despite regulations, many truckers and trucking companies ignore these standards and continue to drive past the allotted number of hours. This comes from pressure to deliver loads faster and secure payment upon delivery.